BATH, Maine (AP) – Bath Iron Works is expected to hire about 600 people this year as it works on six Navy destroyers at the same time.

The hiring spree will bring the General Dynamics facility workforce to more than 6,000 people for the first time in a decade.

With roughly 5,450 workers, BIW is one of Maine’s largest private employers. It is also one of the Navy’s primary shipyards and has benefited from a steady stream of new contracts despite budget cuts in Washington.

Shipyard officials tell the Portland Press Herald they will hire a range of workers, including electricians, pipe fitters, outside machinists, welders and tinsmiths, as well as electrical, structural and mechanical engineers.

Shipyard officials have also created a training facility to help workers tailor their skills to the shipyard’s needs.